Signs to check moles for possible skin cancer following YouTuber Ninja's diagnosis
Checking your breasts, chest and testicles for any unusual lumps or bumps is something which most people are accustomed to by now, but a lot of people forget to pay as much attention to their skin.
Although it's the largest organ in the body, a large amount of Brits overlook the importance of taking care of the flesh suit we sport throughout our entire lives.
But people have now started realising the importance of listening to - and looking at - their bodies after YouTube star Ninja - also known as Tyler Blevins - announced he had been diagnosed with skin cancer.
The US streamer, 32, urged his supporters to get regular check-ups of their skin after he found out about his condition during a visit to a dermatologist for an annual appointment to assess his moles.
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Ninja - who has a whopping 19 million followers on Twitch - took to Twitter and said that although he was 'still in a bit of shock', he thought it was important to be candid about his health with his legion of fans.
He wrote: "A few weeks ago I went in to a dermatologist for an annual skin/mole check that Jess proactively scheduled for me. There was a mole on the bottom of my foot that they wanted to remove just to be careful.
"It came back as melanoma, but they are optimistic that we caught it in the early stages.
"I had another dark spot appear near it, so today they biopsied that and removed a larger area around the melanoma with the hopes that under the microscope they will see clear non-melanoma edges and we will know we got it.
"I’m grateful to have hope in finding this early, but please take this as a PSA to get skin checkups."
If you're not too clued up on skin cancer lingo, melanoma is a type of the disease which can spread to other parts of the body and is usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet light from sources such as the sun and sunbeds.
Ninja's wife, Jessica, received praise online for scheduling an appointment for her hubby as she explained in the comments that if they had not moved to Florida, she might not have 'started scheduling annual skin checkups'.
A lot of people also pointed out that the streamer was lucky to find the cancer, given the lack of connection between a
melanoma on the sole of his foot and it being hit by sunlight.
Luckily for Ninja, he caught it early thanks to keeping tabs on the mole - but what should you be looking out for?
Skin cancer signs and symptoms
Well, skin cancers can take on various different forms, so the appearance of it can look very different on a case by case basis, while other common symptoms are similar to other non-life-threatening conditions.
But in the same breath, you should certainly book in with your GP if you have a sore or an area of skin which doesn't seem to be healing within four weeks, looks unusual, hurts, itches, bleeds, crusts or scabs for more than a month.
As well as this, you should keep an eye on ulcers, lumps and red patches which appear on your skin suddenly.
The most important thing to pay attention to is any changes of moles or freckles, which could be an indication of melanoma.
Age, paleness of skin, moles and a family history of the disease are all contributing factors in the potential development of skin cancer, but those who are often exposed to the sun have a higher chance of developing it.
According to Cancer Research UK, it really helps to 'know how your skin normally looks' if you want to spot skin cancer early, as you are more likely to spot changes easily.
If you have any of the aforementioned symptoms or notice any changes in your moles or freckles, you should speak to your doctor and get them to give it a once over.
Cancer Research suggest using a hand held mirror to carry out checks on difficult to reach spots, or roping in a partner, friend or family member to help you keep tabs on them.
"This is very important if you're regularly outside in the sun for work or leisure," the charity added. "You can take a photo of anything that doesn't look quite right.
"If you can it's a good idea to put a ruler or tape measure next to the abnormal area when you take the photo.
"This gives you a more accurate idea about its size and can help you tell if it's changing. You can then show these pictures to your doctor."
The most common treatment for melanomas - which are most common in areas of your skin that are often exposed to the sun - is surgery, although treatment varies depending on how much the cancer has spread.
Some rarer types of this skin cancer can affect the eyes, soles of the feet, palms of the hand or even genitals - so make sure you have a good look at yourself from head to toe.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Olivia Burke